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The Earth has a natural temperature control system. Certain atmospheric gases
are critical to this system and are known as greenhouse gases. On average, about
one third of the solar radiation that hits the earth is reflected back to space.
Of the remainder, some is absorbed by the atmosphere but most is absorbed by the
land and oceans. The Earth's surface becomes warm and as a result emits infrared
radiation. The greenhouse gases trap the infrared radiation, thus warming the
atmosphere. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases include water vapour, carbon
dioxide, ozone, methane and nitrous oxide, and together create a natural
greenhouse effect. However, human activities are causing greenhouse gas levels
in the atmosphere to increase.
What are the effects of global warming?
Humanity's greenhouse gas emissions are expected to lead to climatic changes
in the 21st century and beyond. These changes will potentially have wide-ranging
effects on the natural environment as well as on human societies and economies.
Scientists have made estimates of the potential direct impacts on various
socio-economic sectors, but in reality the full consequences would be more
complicated because impacts on one sector can also affect other sectors
indirectly.
Some of the effects include:
Temperature increase: Global average temperature may increase from 15.40C
to 200C; rise of 4.60C.
- Sea Level: Global Sea level may rise by upto 94 cm.
- getation: climate warming in the past has caused vegetation zones to
shift to higher elevations, resulting in the loss of some species and
ecosystems. Simulated scenarios for temperate-climate mountain sites suggest
that continued warming could have similar consequences.
- Thinning of arctic: Draft in the 1990s is over a meter thinner than two to
four decades earlier due to increase in global temperatures.
- Coastal Areas: Rising sea level would destroy weak parts of the sand belt,
which is essential for the protection of lagoons and the low-lying reclaimed
lands. The impacts would be very serious: One third of Egypt's fish catches
are made in the lagoons. Sea level rise would change the water quality and
affect most fresh water fish. Valuable agricultural land would be innundated.
- Freash Water: Even if the world maintained the pace of the 1990s in water
supply development, it would not be enough to ensure that everyone had access
to safe drinkning water by 2025.
- Diseases: Climate change and altered weather patters would affect the
range (both altitude and latitude), intensity, and seasonality of many
vector-borne and other infectioius diseases.
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From Hurricane Katrina to Asian Tsunami to European flooding; we are constantly being reminded that we are NOW living in the age where unprecedented climatic changes are occurring. These climatic changes are horrendously affecting the precious lives of many innocent human beings across the globe. Scientific research has proven that the changes in climatic conditions are NOT self induced. On the contrary, it is the human induced factors that are leading to rapid changes in climates; some of the repercussions are being witnessed in forms of natural disasters.
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